What Does an Account Coordinator Do?

If you have an eye for detail, strong organizational skills and an outgoing personality, you might consider pursuing an office-based professional career. Many career options are available, such as the role of an account coordinator. What does an account coordinator do?

Explore the typical account coordinator job description in this career guide. Then, start planning your career path with help from your high school guidance counselor or college career advisor.

Responsibilities of an Account Coordinator

Account coordinators work in offices alongside other professionals, such as account managers and account executives. An account coordinator is responsible for providing support to those professionals, by handling business administration tasks and fulfilling other duties.

Additionally, account coordinators often act as a main point of contact for a company’s clients, serving as the organization’s public face and fielding client inquiries. In short, an account coordinator is charged with doing a bit of everything pertaining to the company’s accounts.

These professionals often work for marketing and advertising firms, so it’s helpful for them to have basic knowledge about this field. Account coordinators can also be found working in sales, customer service and public relations positions.

Account Coordinator Job Description

Beyond learning about what account coordinators do, it’s helpful to explore the job description of a typical account coordinator when considering your possible career paths. The daily tasks for these professionals will vary greatly depending on the specific industry and company in which they work. In general, however, they may do any of the following:

• Maintain the company’s client information database and continuously update client records
• Research potential clients, markets and competitors, and provide this information to account managers
• Schedule calls and meetings for other team members
• Prepare sales contracts and client reports
• Field questions from clients and pass along clients’ feedback to other team members
• Maintain strong and positive client relations

How To Become an Account Coordinator

Now that you know what an account coordinator does. It’s time to take a look at the process of becoming one. If you’re still in high school and interested in this career path, it’s a good idea to schedule a meeting to discuss this with your guidance counselor. You may be able to add relevant courses to your schedule to help you prepare for your future.

Any business-related classes are ideal, these could include classes in business administration, marketing or business law. You should also take computer literacy and computer applications classes, as modern account coordinators are expected to be reasonably proficient in the use of technology.

Earn Your Communications Degree

Employers tend to prefer to hire account coordinators with college degrees, although there is flexibility regarding the type of degree required. Many aspiring account coordinators decide to earn a communications degree. A degree in marketing is another option, although it should be noted that not all account coordinators work for marketing firms.

A communications degree is a particularly versatile choice because it instills skills that are applicable to a broad range of sectors, industries and fields. Students majoring in communication acquire foundational skills such as critical thinking, analytical reasoning and ethical decision-making. Although it will vary from one school to the next, the curriculum for a communications degrees generally includes topics such as the following:

• Theories in communications, communication models and common conundrums in the field
• Communication skills in small group settings, including both individual participation and leadership
• Intercultural communications, including verbal and nonverbal communication behaviors, styles and traditions
• Conflict communication and negotiation strategies in international, interpersonal and organizational contexts
• Key argumentation and advocacy concepts and skills, including the construction of oral and written arguments
• The development and implementation of various types of communication campaigns, including political, social, environmental and marketing campaigns

During your four-year communications degree program, you will have the opportunity to take elective courses. You might even decide to pursue a minor to complement your major. Look for classes that support your career goals in addition to those that align with your personal interests.

For example, an aspiring account coordinator may decide to take some general business electives, such as classes in organizational behavior and management, business administration or technological skills. Earning a minor in marketing is another solid choice because the marketing field is a major employer of account coordinators. While working toward this minor, you would study topics such as marketing research, consumer behavior and advertising fundamentals.

Get Started Becoming an Account Coordinator Today

Wherever your career aspirations take you, you can develop a firm academic foundation for pursuing future success at Grand Canyon University. Our colleges offer a wide variety of degree programs, including the versatile Bachelor of Arts in Communications degree, which enables graduates to pursue any number of rewarding career paths. Click on Request Info at the top of your screen to learn more about joining our Christian learning community online or on campus.